The COS estate was founded in 1980 by three wine-loving friends studying architecture and medicine. Originally from the province of Vittoria, they bought an old estate, becoming the youngest winemakers in the region. COS is today one of the most influential producers in Sicily and Italy in general. Giusto Occhipinti is the emblematic figure behind COS. With his partner Giambattista Cilia, he became interested in a particular wine: Cerasuolo di Vittoria made from the blend of Nero d'Avola and Frappato.
On this 37 hectare vineyard, perched at altitudes between 230 and 270 meters above sea level, the Sirocco and the winds of the Hyblean mountains sweep through an exceptional terroir composed of tuff, clay and sand soils. The climate of Vittoria lends Nero d'Avola from here an extraordinary elegance, while Frappato is characterized by a great finesse. In 2000, COS decided to set up a biodynamic agriculture, cultivating the vineyard in a way to produce the purest wine possible.
Giusto Occhipinti believes that it is not the winemaking that really makes the wine, but the terroir. This is why he aims to minimize as much as possible the impact of the aging vessel, so that the wine can express the full character of its terroir of origin. He uses terracotta amphorae to age his famous Pithos, as neutral terracotta does not add any extra aromas to the wine. The Cerasuolo di Vittoria wine is aged in foudres with similar aromatic characteristics.
